...And even save your life!
University of Cambridge
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Researchers have used computational approaches including AI
to analyze the gut microbiome composition of over 12,000 people across 45
countries from their stool samples. They found that a person's microbiome
'signature' can predict whether a person's gut is likely to be colonized by
Enterobacteriaceae. The results are consistent across different states of
health and geographic locations.
The researchers identified 135 gut microbe species that are
commonly found in the absence of Enterobacteriaceae, likely protecting against
infection.
Notable amongst the protective gut species are a group of
bacteria called Faecalibacterium, which produce beneficial compounds called
short-chain fatty acids by breaking down fiber in the foods we eat. This seems
to protect against infection by a range of disease-causing Enterobacteriaceae
bugs.
The researchers suggest that eating more fiber in our diet
will support the growth of good bacteria -- and crowd out the bad ones to
significantly reduce the risk of illness.
In contrast, taking probiotics -- which don't directly change the environment in the gut -- is less likely to affect the likelihood of Enterobacteriaceae infection.
The results are published in the journal Nature
Microbiology.
"Our results suggest that what we eat is potentially
very important in controlling the likelihood of infection with a range of
bacteria, including E.coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae,
because this changes our gut environment to make it more hostile to
invaders," said Dr Alexandre Almeida, a researcher at the University of
Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine and senior author of the paper.
He added: "By eating fiber in foods like vegetables,
beans and whole grains, we can provide the raw material for our gut bacteria to
produce short chain fatty acids -- compounds that can protect us from these
pathogenic bugs."
Klebsiella pneumonia can cause pneumonia,
meningitis and other infections. The alarming global rise in antibiotic
resistance to this bacterial pathogen has led scientists to look for new ways
of keeping it, and other similar infectious bacteria, under control.
"With higher rates of antibiotic resistance there are
fewer treatment options available to us. The best approach now is to prevent
infections occurring in the first place, and we can do this by reducing the
opportunities for these disease-causing bacteria to thrive in our gut,"
said Almeida.
A new understanding of gut microbe interactions
Earlier research to understand interactions between the
different bacteria in our gut has used mouse models. But some of these new
results are at odds with previous findings.
The new study revealed that 172 species of gut microbe can
coexist with disease-causing Enterobacteriaceae bugs. Many of these species are
functionally similar to the bugs: they need the same nutrients to survive.
Previously it was thought that competition for resources would stop the
disease-causing bacteria from getting established in the gut.
This has important implications for treatment: taking
probiotics that compete for the same nutrients with the bad bacteria to try and
starve them out isn't going to work. The researchers say that it will be more
beneficial to change the environment in the gut, for instance through diet, to
reduce the risk of infection with Enterobacteriaceae.
"This study highlights the importance of studying pathogens not as isolated entities, but in the context of their surrounding gut microbiome," said Dr Qi Yin, a visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine and first author of the report.
